Client News
Toyota Hits Home Run With Venza
Jerry Kronenberg, Boston Herald
May 9th, 2009
The U.S.-built 2009 Toyota Venza is exactly the kind of car that America's struggling "Big Three" automakers need to learn to make.
Assembled at Toyota's Georgetown, Ky., factory, this all-new wagon offers roominess, a smooth ride and excellent fit and finish — all for a decent $25,975 base price.
On the outside, the Venza looks like a cross between a family friendly minivan and a traditional station wagon.
Based on the Toyota Camry's frame, the Venza features a midsized hood and five-slat grille that sweep back to 10-spoke alloy wheels. Large front doors are outfitted with convenient folding side mirrors.
My test model also came with tinted rear windows, a rear spoiler, a chrome exhaust pipe and a hatchback with a rear wiper (a design that evokes the 1980s-era Honda Civic).
Inside, the Venza offers a generous amount of clean, nicely designed space.
Driver's and front passenger's seats offer very good headroom, legroom and hiproom.
In back, the Venza's comfortable 60/40 split fold-down rear seats are theoretically designed for three adults, but can really only accommodate two. A third person sitting in the center position would find the lumbar support, legroom and hiproom lacking.
All the way back, the Venza's 30.7-cubic-foot cargo area can accommodate two large suitcases. Or, you can fold down the model's rear seats to create a 70 cubic-foot space, providing plenty of room for skis, hockey equipment and the like.
The Venza's well-designed dashboard features an oversized speedometer, a medium-sized tachometer and larger-than-average fuel and temperature gauges.
My test model also came with a crystal-clear LCD that combines trip information such as average mpg with a view from the Venza's optional backup camera (part of a $570 Security Package).
The car's standard AM/FM/6CD/MP3/Sirius stereo features 16 easy- to-use buttons and knobs tied to a small LQD display. The Venza's standard dual-zone climate system likewise employs nine simple knobs and buttons.
Both of these systems come with controls that are adequate enough, but far from state of the art.
For instance, the stereo has just a one-line liquid quartz display — a far cry from the touchscreens that many cars now offer.
Likewise, the Venza's climate system has a big knob with red lines on one end for "hot" and blue lines on the other for "cold." By contrast, lots of cars let drivers set cabin temperatures down to a specific degree these days.
On the road, the Venza's four-cylinder engine, six-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive team up to provide a surprisingly smooth, quiet ride.
Although the Venza's engine puts out a modest 182 horsepower, the wagon accelerates fairly well, with just a tad of engine noise if you gun the gas to get onto a highway.
The car features crisp braking and fairly responsive steering, while backing up and parking are both easy given the Venza's relatively modest size. As noted above, my test model also came with an optional backup camera.
My test car also featured optional keyless start-up, part of an $860 Convenience Package that also includes a power hatchback.
As for fuel efficiency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rates the Venza at a fairly good 21 mpg/city and 29 mpg/highway. During a week of mixed tests drives, Motor Mouth logged a combined 23.2 mpg city/highway.
As for pricing, the Venza's $25,975 base sticker runs a little higher than that of rivals such as the $23,495 Honda CR-V or $23,900 Mazda CX-7.
Still, the bottom line is that 2009 Toyota Venza is a great family-friendly offering from an automaker famous for building family-friendly cars. Detroit, take note.
Test drive
Information about the 2009 Toyota Venza:
- Base price: $25,975
- As tested: $29,258
- Type: front-wheel-drive five-passenger wagon
- Engine: 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine (182 horsepower)
- Transmission: six-speed automatic
- Mileage: 21 mpg/city, 29 mpg/highway
- Built in: United States